Vietnam is generally divided into three regions and this allows you to have all sorts of experiences across the country. If you’re looking for sunny beaches to soak up the sun during the summer, or explore food diversity, Central Vietnam is definitely the place. Let’s find out where you can stay, what you can do, and what to eat during one week i n Central Vietnam!

As a Vietnamese myself, I am always in constant wonder by what my country can offer travelers. When you think you have had enough sightseeing, you can always learn about culture and history. If you’re not such a leisure traveling type, off-the-beaten-track trips through tricky terrain will suit your needs well. Or, are you a food enthusiast? Say no more, we have three regions with unique culinary cultures that will satisfy your hungry stomach. For any type of traveler, this one-week itinerary in central Vietnam is made for you. See what you can do in five amazing cities, who knows you might stay longer than seven days!

A Brief Introduction about Central Vietnam

Through years of historic changes, Vietnam geography today is officially divided into three main regions – the North, Central, and the South. Each has its very own set of characteristics in food, art, people or even lifestyle, composing a culturally diverse country. The central region of Vietnam consists of 19 units, one of which is a municipality and the rest are provinces. This area stretches far along the coast, so there is no doubt that many of our most beautiful beaches are clustered here.

The upper part of the region – the North Central Coast has six provinces and is considered the narrowest part of the country. While other parts are joined by many adjacent provinces, the North Central Coast provinces form a straight line. Also because of this stretching feature, geography here is extremely varied. To the western side of the region, craggy and large mountain ranges are a dominant feature. Moving to the east, we can see many flat deltas which are a frequent source of alluvial soil from nearby rivers. Quite similar to the northern region, the North Central Coast is famous for many historical sites dating back to the 1900’s with amazing stories surrounding them.

Now that I’m done briefing you on the essential things to know about central Vietnam, buckle up and we shall take a tour! Let’s see what we can do in central Vietnam in one week, starting with….

Nha Trang – 2 Days

How to Get There

Since it is about 400 kilometers from Saigon to Nha Trang, it’s best to take transportation services rather than conquering the road yourself. There are three ways to get to Nha Trang from Saigon, which are bus, train, or airplane.



Traveling to Nha Trang by air is clearly the fastest way but it also costs the most. One thing to note when you take an airplane is that it’s 30 kilometers from Cam Ranh airport to the city center, so do prepare for another short trip after you land.

Where to Stay

There are a variety of accommodations from low budget stays to luxurious hotels and resorts. These are some of the best options to choose from:

Hotels under 20 USD:

Tabalo Hostel

Address: 34/2/7 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Tan Lap, Nha Trang City

Phone number: +84 258 352 52 95

Website: Tabalo Hostel website

Ccasa Hostel

Address: 40 Sao Bien, Nha Trang City

Phone number: +84 258 3838 833

Website: Ccasa Hostel website

Luxury stays:

InterContinental Nha Trang

Address: 32-34 Tran Phu, Loc Tho, Nha Trang City

Phone number: +84 258 3887 777

Website: Intercontinental Nha Trang website

Sheraton Nha Trang

Address: 26-28 Tran Phu, Loc Tho, Nha Trang City

Phone number: +84 258 3880 000

Website: Sheraton Nha Trang website

What to Eat

You can spend the first day here pursuing a food adventure since this city has so many special dishes to try!

Nem Nuong (grilled sausage):

Nem nuong Vu Thanh An

Address: 15 Le Loi Street

Price: around 40,000 VND per portion

Nem nuong 25 Le Hong Phong

Address: 25 Le Hong Phong Street

Price: around 30,000 VND per portion

Goi Ca Mai (deep herring salad):

Goi Ca Ha Ra

Address: No 166, 2 Thang 4 Street

Price: 30,000 – 70,000 VND

Hai San Nina

Address: 6 Ngo Si Lien Street

Price: 100,000 VND



Bun Cha Ca (grilled fish rice noodles):

Bun cha ca in Xom Moi marketAddress: at Vo Tru Street corner, next to Xom Moi market

Price: around 20,000 VND per bowl

Bun Ca Nam Beo

Address: B2 Phan Boi Chau Apartment, Phan Boi Chau Street

Price: 30,000 – 40,000 VND

What to Do

Day two is the day for swimming and partying! I really recommend Diep Son Beach because it’s a peaceful beach which is two hours away from the center of Nha Trang. It’s a paradise for visitors seeking a serene lifestyle or inner peace. Or you can try Nha Trang beach for a more social vibe, as it’s super convenient and suitable for everyone!

Diep Son Beach

Location: Diep Son Port

Opening hours: 8 AM – 4 PM. This is the operating hours of the port to get to Diep Son from the city center.

Nha Trang Beach

Location: Tran Phu street, Nha Trang

Opening hours: 24/7

When night falls, a little partying with the sea wind blowing through your hair is tempting! There are bars, clubs and craft beers for you to try.

Qui – Cuisine Mixology Lounge

Address: 62 Tran Phu, Nha Trang city. This bar is located just by the Nha Trang beach, so it’s convenient for those who can’t leave the sea!

Opening hours: 6 AM – Late

Price: 180,000 VND++

Website: Qui Website

Sailing Club

Address: 72- 74 Tran Phu, on the beach, Nha Trang city

Opening hours: 10 AM till late

Price: Average 400,000 VND – 2,200,000 VND

Pankoff Brewery

Address: 39 Hung Vuong, Nha Trang city

Opening hours: 11 AM – 12 AM

Price: 40,000 VND – 70,000 VND

Quy Nhon – 1 Day

After enjoying Nha Trang, you can move up to Quy Nhon – a peaceful coastal city in Binh Dinh province.

How to Get There

Like our starting point, you can get to Quy Nhon from Nha Trang in three ways. However, since it takes only around four hours to travel by bus and it’s the cheapest way, taking a bus is a suitable choice. You can easily book tickets through vexere.com, which shows results from many transportation companies to help you get the best price.

Where to Stay

Because you only stay here for one day, low-budget accommodations are better than fancy resorts. Here are some lodging options for a reasonable price:

Life’s a Beach

Location: To 2, Khu Vuc 1, Bai Xep, Ghenh Rang Ward, Quy Nhon city

Website: Life’s a Beach Website

Price: from 13 USD

John & Paul Hostel

Location: 63 Chuong Duong St., Quy Nhon city

Website: John & Paul Inn Website

Price: from 10 USD

One Day Itinerary

Morning: grab a hearty breakfast with fiddler crab noodle (bun ram). In the past, it was rather difficult to enjoy this dish as you had to travel more than 60 kilometers from the city center. That’s where fiddler crabs mainly gathered. Today, you can find bun ram in many places in Quy Nhon city because it is a famous local cuisine now!

Thuy Fiddler Crab Noodle Store

Address: 261 Tang Bat Ho street, Ly Thuong Kiet ward, Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province

Opening time: 7 AM – 9 PM

Price range: 25,000 VND – 35,000 VND

Hoi An – 1 Day

How to Get There

Getting to Hoi An from Quy Nhon is quite tricky because this is not a popular route. It is, however, not impossible. You can travel by bus like usual and the fare is around 150,000 VND. This is the website to book a Quy Nhon – Hoi An bus.

Where to Stay

Check out these artistic homestays with styles ranging from French colonial architecture to ancient Vietnamese houses:

Maison de Tau

Address: 47/23 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Tan An, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Phone number: +84 90 847 93 79

Website: Maison de Tau Homepage

Price: from 300,000 VND

Loongboong Homestay

Address: 172 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Phone number: +84 98 558 24 88

Website: Loongboong Homepage

Price: from 500,000 VND

One Day Itinerary

Morning: have breakfast with banh mi – Vietnamese baguette and coffee. You can never have enough of this combo.

Da Nang – 2 Days

How to Get There

Da Nang is only 30 kilometers away from Hoi An, so it’s super easy to get here from the ancient town. You can either travel by bus, motorbike services or taxi, which is increasingly expensive. For the first option, you’ll take bus number 1 and the fare is around 16,000 VND. The only setback is bus services operate only from 5:30 AM to 5:50 PM. Motorbike and taxi services will cost more, but it can save you a lot of time.

Where to Stay

Again, there are two main types of stays in Da Nang city and you can review the list below:

Luxury Hotels and Resorts:

Melia Danang

Address: 19 Truong Sa, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang

Phone number: +84 236 392 9888

Website: Melia Danang Website

Price: from 125 USD

The Blossom Danang

Address: A1 – A2, Green Island Zone, Hoa Cuong Bac, Hai Chau, Da Nang

Phone number: +84 236 362 3238/+84 236 3639 336

Website: The Blossom Resort Website

Price: from 120 USD

Budget Accommodations:

Hanami Hotel Danang

Address: 61-63 Hoang Ke Viem, Da Nang

Phone number: +84 236 3952 992/+84 236 3952 997

Website: Hanami Hotel Website

Price: from 22 USD

Brilliant Majestic Villa Hotel

Address: 123 Ho Nghinh, Son Tra, Da Nang

Phone number: +84 236 3944 488

Website: Brilliant Majestic Hotel Website

Price: from 26 USD

What to Eat

Mi Quang (Quang style noodles): These noodles are incredibly soft, glutinous, and full of genuine rich rice flavor. Many locals like enjoying this food for breakfast, but you can see people hurriedly slurping their bowl at all times of the day.

Mi Quang Ba Vi

Address: 166 Le Dinh Duong Street, My An Ward, Hai Chau District

Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 10 PM

Price range: 35,000 VND – 40,000 VND

Banh Trang Cuon Thit Heo (rice paper with pork): the secret to this dish is the sauce. It has a distinct flavor and when eaten with rolls, this combination can blow your mind.

Banh trang cuon thit heo Quynh Dai Loc

Address: 176 Nguyen Hoang Street, Hai Chau District

Opening hours: 10 AM – 10 PM

Price: 38,000 VND

Goi Ca Nam O (Nam O Fish Salad): made from fresh raw fish with a touch of chili, garlic, ginger, galangal, and fish sauce. This is a spicy dish because the spiciness reduces the fish odor.

Goi ca Thanh Huong

Address: 1029 Nguyen Luong Bang, Lien Chieu, Da Nang

Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 22:00 PM

Price range: 40,000 VND – 150,000 VND

What to Do

Nha Trang has beaches, and so does Da Nang. So what can you do here? Should you go to popular spots to swim? No, it’s time for an the off-the-beaten-track adventure!
Ghenh Bang Reef : This reef is a part of Son Tra Peninsula, which is located about 20 kilometers from Da Nang city center. Since tourism is still not developed here, the wildness of the beauty from mother nature still remains. You can go for a dive and gaze at the colorful corals under the water.

I have to say one week won’t be enough for you to discover central Vietnam. Remember to take your time and enjoy these places first.

Credit to Teo